<p>I just typed up a 6 paragraph essay explaining my situation, but apparently the forum logged me out when I hit the post button an hour later. Lovely. Here's the tl;dr version</p>
<p>I have a 3.7.
I'm looking to transfer to UCSB for materials engineering (or possibly SD, or CPP, but wrong forum section for that).
I'm on track to getting a C in gen chem 2 (2 of the 8 students left out of 45 have a B or higher).
A B is extremely unlikely with the way this professor grades. I failed the last test despite getting 11/13 questions correct.
I feel I can get an easy A with a different professor.
I received a B in gen chem 1.
I have received mostly A's in other important courses (calc/physics).
This is the only course I am taking this summer.
Gen chem 1/2 are the only chemistry courses required for materials engineering.
Economically, $600 is kind of a big deal for me right now (this is what I'd lose by dropping and retaking).</p>
<p>Do I withdraw, or take the C? I feel like I'd look ridiculous trying to transfer into materials/chemical engineering with a B and a C in chemistry.</p>
<p>Yes, but I’ll be taking calc and physics together for the next 3 semesters. An extra 5 hour a day class would kill my ability to work part time.</p>
<p>It’s honestly up to you. You have weigh the possibilities and their consequences. Even with a C, you should be good for everything other than Berkeley and UCLA. But again, there is no guarantee.</p>
<p>Hmm…it’s hard to say. Either way, the 2 grades will appear on your transcript. For one thing though, I can say that I got into UC Berkeley with 1 C…3.76 GPA.</p>
<p>You won’t need to finish General Chemistry to get into UCSD. I took the 6 series here after transferring. Of course, that put me behind a little bit but it’s an option. Also remember that your cumulative grade is what matters. For the most part, in any UC other than B/LA, finishing your pre-requisites more or less guarantees your admission as long as your cumulative GPA is high enough. If you have a 3.5+, you’re gold even with a C in general chemistry. </p>
<p>Having said that, if time is not an issue to you, retake the class with a better professor. Before you do that though, here’s what I recommend:
Go to the professor’s office and talk to them. Ask them, “Why did I fail this test even though I got 11/13 questions right? Why is the grading curve this hard? I understand the material well enough and yet I’m walking away from this class with a C.”</p>
<p>I can’t count the amount of times that I felt like my grade was hopeless, I talked to the professor and they did ridiculous things just because I talked to them:
One professor changed my grade to an A after grades went out and let me make up my work to him when the quarter was over(And this was at UCSD!)
Another professor let me weigh my final at 75% so if I aced the final, it would completely weigh my grade to the point of getting an A in the class despite getting abysmal quiz scores.
Another professor more or less told me to go fudge myself but he didn’t punish me for asking and I was able to figure out what I was doing wrong on the exams/homework. </p>
<p>Either way, more important than anything, your understanding of general chemistry is your only real concern. If your cumulative is higher than a 3.5, you’re a high chance in any good/ranked UC, including LA and Berkeley if the prerequisites are finished. What really matters is how well you understand general chemistry because when you hit the UC’s, you <em>WILL</em> hit the ground running and classes with a general chemistry requirement will not review chemistry material to catch people up, the way a lot of CC classes do.</p>